Remembering Seattle’s Turkey Day games

This Thanksgiving, the football talk around most dinner tables is about who will win the Apple Cup this Saturday at CentryLink Field.

But for four decades, the Turkey Day game was the only game many Seattleites cared about. During its heyday at Memorial Stadium, the top Seattle high school team faced off against what a principals’ committee considered the best team from outside the city.

“I’m not downplaying the state championship game, but this was huge,” legendary high school coach Chuck Tarbox told P-I reporter Dan Raley in 2000. “There was more media attention, the natural rivalries of the city. It was the Super Bowl for us.”

A few weeks ago, we found some previously unpublished from Turkey Day games at Memorial Stadium. They are included in the gallery below along with other vintage high school football images that appeared in the pages of the P-I.

This is the program for the Nov. 25, 1948 Turkey Day game at Memorial Stadium. The game was shown as Seattle's first wide-audience television broadcast. (Seattle Public Schools)

This is the program for the Nov. 25, 1948 Turkey Day game at Memorial Stadium. The game was shown as Seattle's first wide-audience television broadcast. (Seattle Public Schools)

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This P-I archive photo shows the kickoff of the Nov. 25, 1948 Turkey Day game. The game was shown on KRSC-TV as the citys first wide-audience television broadcast. KRSC became KING the following year. (seattlepi.com file) less

This P-I archive photo shows the kickoff of the Nov. 25, 1948 Turkey Day game. The game was shown on KRSC-TV as the citys first wide-audience television broadcast. KRSC became KING the following year. ... more

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This previously unpublished photo is from the Nov. 1964 Turkey Day game between Garfield and Roosevelt high schools. Player information is not listed. (seattlepi.com file)

This previously unpublished photo is from the Nov. 1964 Turkey Day game between Garfield and Roosevelt high schools. Player information is not listed. (seattlepi.com file)

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This 1964 Turkey Day game photo caption read: Mark Williams (23) prepares to pull in a touchdown pass from quarterback John Richardson to give Garfield a temporary 6-0 lead over Roosevelt in yesterday's Turkey Day game at Memorial Stadium. Williams caught the ball on the two and went in to score. Nearest Teddy defender is Gayle Buckley. (seattlepi.com file) less

This 1964 Turkey Day game photo caption read: Mark Williams (23) prepares to pull in a touchdown pass from quarterback John Richardson to give Garfield a temporary 6-0 lead over Roosevelt in yesterday's Turkey ... more

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The Nov. 1957 photo caption read: Garfield Coach John Boitano is hoisted high by his victorious Bulldogs following their 6 to 0 Turkey Day victory over Clover Park which climaxed an unbeaten season for the freshman grid pilot. [Garfield's football teams were top in the Associated Press state poll in 1957 and 1959.] (seattlepi.com file) less

The Nov. 1957 photo caption read: Garfield Coach John Boitano is hoisted high by his victorious Bulldogs following their 6 to 0 Turkey Day victory over Clover Park which climaxed an unbeaten season for the ... more

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Garfield coach John Boitano in the 1959 Turkey Day game at Memorial Stadium. He was speaking to Dick Blanchat. The Bulldogs remained unbeaten by defeating the Puget Sound League champs in that game. The full image was previously unpublished. (seattlepi.com file) less

Garfield coach John Boitano in the 1959 Turkey Day game at Memorial Stadium. He was speaking to Dick Blanchat. The Bulldogs remained unbeaten by defeating the Puget Sound League champs in that game. The full ... more

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The caption for this Nov. 25, 1965 Turkey Day game photo read: Queen Anne's touchdown march began with Steve Myrwang (10) lofting the ball downfield to Rick Nordquist. Nordquist caught it for a 28-yard gain and, minutes later, climaxed a 62-yard scoring march with the winning conversion. (seattlepi.com file) less

The caption for this Nov. 25, 1965 Turkey Day game photo read: Queen Anne's touchdown march began with Steve Myrwang (10) lofting the ball downfield to Rick Nordquist. Nordquist caught it for a 28-yard gain ... more

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Roosevelt played Chief Sealth in the Nov. 24, 1966, Turkey Day game, and this full image has not previously been published. The caption originally read: This was beginning of the end for Sealth as the Seahawks' Verl Vogel (38) lost track of the football. Roosevelt's George Pearson recovered, then the Teddies marched 52 yards for the winning touchdown in Turkey Day frolic. (Tom Brownell/seattlepi.com file) less

Roosevelt played Chief Sealth in the Nov. 24, 1966, Turkey Day game, and this full image has not previously been published. The caption originally read: This was beginning of the end for Sealth as the ... more

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Roosevelt played Chief Sealth in the 1966 Turkey Day game at Memorial Stadium, and this full image has not previously been published. The caption originally read: Art Hall (32) was in the hands of Sealth's Mike Fairleigh. Roosevelt back was forced out of bounds after 42-yard scamper. (Bob Miller/seattlepi.com file) less

Roosevelt played Chief Sealth in the 1966 Turkey Day game at Memorial Stadium, and this full image has not previously been published. The caption originally read: Art Hall (32) was in the hands of Sealth's ... more

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Another image from Roosevelt vs. Chief Sealth in the 1966 Turkey Day game. The original caption read: Sealth's Mike Fairleigh gathered in pass from Mike Hall, then looked for help from Allan Stowers (17). He got it, in the form of a crushing downfield block, before completing 36-yard pass and run play for Seahawk score. (seattlepi.com file) less

Another image from Roosevelt vs. Chief Sealth in the 1966 Turkey Day game. The original caption read: Sealth's Mike Fairleigh gathered in pass from Mike Hall, then looked for help from Allan Stowers (17). He ... more

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The 1948 West Seattle High School team that played in the Turkey Day game, which was also the first large-audiance television broadcast. They tied Wenatchee 6-6. (Seattle Public Schools)

The 1948 West Seattle High School team that played in the Turkey Day game, which was also the first large-audiance television broadcast. They tied Wenatchee 6-6. (Seattle Public Schools)

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A previously unpublished photo of Garfield assistant football coach Bill Diambri, right, and head coach John Boitano, who died in March 2004. This image was from the 1964 Turkey Day game. (seattlepi.com file)

A previously unpublished photo of Garfield assistant football coach Bill Diambri, right, and head coach John Boitano, who died in March 2004. This image was from the 1964 Turkey Day game. (seattlepi.com file)

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The championship trophy is presented to John Boitano and the Garfield High football team after the 1959 Turkey Day game at Memorial Stadium. This is the first time the full photograph has been published. (seattlepi.com file) less

The championship trophy is presented to John Boitano and the Garfield High football team after the 1959 Turkey Day game at Memorial Stadium. This is the first time the full photograph has been published. ... more

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A previously unpublished photo of the Shoreline High School coaches being carried by the team after a 1960 game at Memorial Stadium. (seattlepi.com file)

A previously unpublished photo of the Shoreline High School coaches being carried by the team after a 1960 game at Memorial Stadium. (seattlepi.com file)

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A previously unpublished image of Garfield players with assistant coach Bill Diambri, left, and head coach John Boitano. The image does not list a date or player information. (seattlepi.com file)

A previously unpublished image of Garfield players with assistant coach Bill Diambri, left, and head coach John Boitano. The image does not list a date or player information. (seattlepi.com file)

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This isn't from a Turkey Day game, but this Oct. 1950 photo at Memorial Stadium shows Franklin players after their 25-6 victory over the previous years co-champions. The win was the Quakers fifth straight.

This isn't from a Turkey Day game, but this Oct. 1950 photo at Memorial Stadium shows Franklin players after their 25-6 victory over the previous years co-champions. The win was the Quakers fifth straight.

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This 1960 photo also isn't from a Turkey Day game, but shows Seattle Prep fullback Claude Robert against Blanchet at Memorial Stadium. The Panthers won that Northwest Catholic Association championship, 20-7. (seattlepi.com) less

This 1960 photo also isn't from a Turkey Day game, but shows Seattle Prep fullback Claude Robert against Blanchet at Memorial Stadium. The Panthers won that Northwest Catholic Association championship, 20-7. ... more

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This Nov. 1967 photo caption, published a week before the Turkey Day game, read: Ingraham's Jimmy Jones (22) landed in end zone after 10-yard run. Rams went on to beat Hale 20-14 to win division title before 14,240 fans last night at Memorial Stadium. less

This Nov. 1967 photo caption, published a week before the Turkey Day game, read: Ingraham's Jimmy Jones (22) landed in end zone after 10-yard run. Rams went on to beat Hale 20-14 to win division title before ... more

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Remembering Seattle's Turkey Day games

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In 1933 – decades before pro sports spawned in Seattle – more than 25,000 people came for the Turkey Day event at Husky Stadium. The first large-scale television broadcast in Seattle was the 1948 game. Only in the 1970s did attendance drop below 10,000.

The late Royal Brougham, Seattle’s master civic promoter who doubled as P-I sports editor and columnist, initially stumped for the game as a charity fund-raiser to offset the woes of the Depression, convincing the P-I to sponsor it.

“Nineteen forty-seven was the year the game really became tradition,” Seattle sports historian Russ Dille told Raley, referencing the year it moved to newly-built Memorial Stadium.

Depending on which source you tap, the first official Turkey Day game came in 1931. Or 1933. Or 1947. But each year created stories passed down through generations.

The main reason for the deep-rooted Seattle tradition died after the 1971 game was a growing conflict with televised college games. Former Metro League athletic director Frank Inslee also told the P-I some administrators in the 70s didn’t want to disrupt want to disrupt Thanksgiving with the family anymore.

The current state championship system started in 1973.

“It was political,” Inslee once told the P-I. “I thought it was misguided. People looked forward to that game. They missed it.”

Archive information from former P-I reporter Dan Raley is included in this post. For more Seattle sports news, visit the front page of the Seattle Sports blog.